Democrats turn on Tesla despite yearslong electric vehicle push

Democratic lawmakers spent years pushing the auto industry into the electric vehicle sector but are now critical of President Donald Trump for promoting Tesla and embracing its founder, Elon Musk.

Democrats have been at the forefront of the green energy movement, championing former President Joe Biden's mandates to require more electric vehicle purchases, implementing strict emissions standards in their own states and delivering party-wide support for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, the landmark climate bill that implemented a tax credit of up to $7,000 for EV purchases, including Tesla models.

However, the same lawmakers that spent years promoting more electric vehicle sales have grown critical of America's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla, amid owner Elon Musk's affiliation with the Trump administration.

Trump recently bought a red Tesla Model S as "a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American." The president showcased his new electric vehicle at the White House, similar to when Biden, in 2021, drove a Jeep Wrangler Hybrid on the White House South Lawn in accordance with his executive order to require half of new car and truck sales be electric by 2030.

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But Trump's Tesla purchase prompted backlash from Democratic lawmakers who accused him of not being focused on other issues.

"Grocery prices are soaring. Housing costs are skyrocketing. Retirement savings are plummeting. But Donald Trump thought today would be a good day to play car salesman," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a post on X.

However, the senator has previously supported the push for electric vehicles. For example, on her campaign website, Warren recalls being a "proud" original cosponsor of the Green New Deal resolution, which "commits the United States to a ten-year mobilization to achieve domestic net-zero emissions by 2030."

Another Democrat, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., also railed against Trump's promotion of Tesla despite previously voting to provide tax credits for Tesla purchases through the passing of the IRA.

"While Republicans were voting to take health care away from families and veterans, Donald Trump hosted a Tesla car show at the White House for his biggest donor," Clark said in a post on X. "Peak corruption."

Clark has previously championed investments in green energy vehicles and charging stations, praising Biden for signing an infrastructure law which granted the congresswoman's state of Massachusetts $22.9 million to "build out a network of electric vehicle charging stations," according to a 2022 press release.

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Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., recently said that he checks Tesla stock to get a daily "boost," poking fun at the business after its stock was down 41.4% year-to-date as of March.

"On the iPhone, they've got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day," Walz said during an event titled "The People vs Musk" on Tuesday, where he encouraged Tesla owners to remove the logo on their car with "dental floss." 

Walz's joke about the electric vehicle business stock dropping comes after the governor signed an executive order in 2021 to match California's strict emissions standards and require more EV sales in Minnesota.

Sen. Mark Kelly, R-Ariz., has championed EVs in Arizona, but he recently said he was getting rid of his Tesla for a gas-guzzler SUV over his opposition to Elon Musk's cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"I bought a Tesla because it was fast like a rocket ship. But now every time I drive it, I feel like a rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people. So Tesla, you’re fired!" Kelly wrote in a post on X in March. "New ride coming soon."

Kelly, who in 2023 praised a bipartisan infrastructure law that gave $27 million for "a new fleet of electric vehicles," turned in his electric vehicle for a gas-powered Chevy Tahoe SUV.

Tesla has fallen victim to a string of crimes from anti-Elon Musk protesters who have set fire to, spit on, and keyed the company's cars across the country.

"Democrats were big supporters of Tesla and of electric vehicles until Elon Musk decided to vote for Donald Trump. So we would like Democrats to also come out and condemn this heinous violence that we have seen," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Wednesday. "And I believe the attorney general has said she's investigating these incidents as acts of domestic terrorism." 

Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy and Environment Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, detailed the negative impact such fires have on the environment.

"During an EV fire, more than 100 substances are emitted, including heavy metals, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, all of which can cause illness and death at high enough exposures. Research is underway to understand what if any actual risks to firefighters, the general public and the environment are posed by EV fires," Milloy said.

"Keeping in mind that it is the dose that makes the poison, it will likely be difficult to assess such risks, especially as the pollutants are dispersed and diluted through the air," Milloy told Fox. "But given that greens have pushed for laws that fine people for the act of mere littering, it would be inconceivably hypocritical for them not to condemn and support prosecution for the attacks on Teslas."

Fox News Digital reached out to Warren, Walz and Clark for comment.